So many ways of knowing were called in - What an experience! ...

Being on the land in Sweden for this work was amazing! Spirit-of-place is always a teacher in shamanism, and Imelda and Anna supported that powerful connection throughout our studies. So many ways of knowing were called in - What an experience! - Renna Shesso, Denver, USA

I treasure the memories on that sacred land in Scandinavia!...

I recommend this course highly! Anna & Imelda taught us so much and guided us with such heart! I treasure the memories on that sacred land in Scandinavia! - Barbara Kruse Haas, Crested Butte, Colorado, USA

SCHOOL OF SACRED ART & SHAMANISM

General Introduction

Since I was 14 years old I have dreamed of a house in Scandinavia, in a place where the Forest meets the Sea and where you catch glimpses of trolls and elves going about their business. A place where rare wild flowers grow and the language of plants remains a native tongue. In 2016 this house turned out to exist and called us.

This house is set in vildmark (literally "the wild", in our case pristine ancient forest land) stretching for miles in all directions and situated a brief walk from a lake called Sibbofjärden. Technically speaking this is not a lake, but a fjord, because it is connected by a small canal to the open sea (and the Stockholm archipelago with its 3000 islands). My husband owns a small boat for explore this watery Eden. We have called our boat Otter's Ransom, honouring the Norse sagas!

For any shamanic teacher having access to land where students can work completely undisturbed for days on end is a priority concern. Sweden operates a law called Allemansrätten (freely translated as The Public Right of Access), giving people the right to walk and even camp on land everywhere. (There are some rules regarding private dwellings and grazing animals etc.)

In the immediate surroundings there are many Bronze Age sites: grave mounds, rune stones, ship burial sites and standing stones etc. Uppsa Kulle is right on the doorstep (see the picture in the header above on the far right!)

A one week introduction course to Seidr/Fornsed has been offered once a year since 2014. In May 2016 the people who participated in that course made a strong request for a 2 year practitioner training in Seidr and Northern Tradition studies, allowing people to work in all areas of shamanic practice within an indigenous Northern European tradition. In other words: a professional training in all aspects of working as a seiðmaðr or seiðkona.

This project (this dream, this passion!) is my response to that request!

2019 - 2020 PROFESSIONAL TRAINING IN BECOMING A

Seiðmadr or Seiðkona

Please note that starting in November 2020, these modules will also run in the US (East Coast) in the greater Philadelphia area, sponsored and coordinated by Susan Rossi (for more information you can contact her on: msrossi@comcast.net)

Four modules

#1 The Völva, the Vitki & Trolldom 23 - 28 June 2019

Changing the Weave & working closely with the Norns and the Völva, advanced work with the runes, working with spells, blot, Edda-work

#2 Soul Craft and Ancestral Land 22 - 27 September 2019

Working with the seven aspects of soul (önd, hugr, vard, fylgja, hamingja, hamr and gand)

Working with land and forming a relationship with the inhabitants of all realms of Norse cosmology

#3 Menglöð’s Medicine and Botekonst 21 - 26 June 2020

Working with the Maidens of Lyfjaberg and exploring indigenous Northern European shamanic healing techniques and traditions

#4 The Wild Hunt and the Mead of Poetry 20 - 25 September 2020

Exploring the Norse realms of Death, the mysteries of the Maiden with the Mead, the Disir and Alfar (female and male ancestral spirits) and ancient Europeans ways of working with the souls of the dead. To balance things out we will also look at fertility rites and magic!

THE SYLLABLE FOR THE CURRENT PROGRAM AND ALL RELATED DOCUMENTATION IS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

In the immediate surroundings there are many Bronze Age sites. grave mounds, rune stones, ship burial sites and standing stones positively "litter the landscape"...

The King's Grave Mound of Uppsa Kulle is right on the doorstep, just outside Tystberga!

Petroglyphs

Släbro Hälristningar

These carvings are quite different in appearance from most other petroglyphs found in Sweden. Some are shaped like cups (indents) where it is believed offerings were made to the spirits and gods! They were discovered relatively recently (in 1984). Another hypothesis is that they might represent star constellations - this resonates with guidance I myself have received, sitting out there!

Area of outstanding natural beauty

TRUE NORTH is set in vildmark (technically "the wild", in our case a pristine and remote location situated in the forest. Deep forest stretches for miles in all directions.

A short walk takes you to a nearby lake. The local wildlife is abundant. You will encounter deer (and less often elks and wild boar) on a daily basis! Sea eagles are often spotted flying overhead.(The current group of students have encountered both a lynx and wolf!)

Why offer a 2 year program in Norse Shamanism

In May 2016 I received a strong request for a 2 year in-depth practitioner training in Seidr and Northern Tradition practices, allowing people to work in all areas of shamanic practice within an indigenous Northern European tradition. In other words: a professional training in all aspects of working as aseiðmadror seiðkona.

Thia request from the Fornsed students brought on a period of serious contemplation at my end. As a shamanic teacher I am well aware of the great need for people to have access to quality training in indigenous European wisdom traditions.

Early peoples have always traveled and we know how far the Vikings traveled. Today there are many people all over the world who have a percentage of Norse blood and Scandinavian ancestry. Going on the volume of emails I receive, many of those people now hear the voices of their ancestors (in their dreams, in their blood) and wish to learn about The Northern Tradition.

For several decades it has been fashionable for people to study e.g. Native American or Peruvian shamanism - even when they have no ancestral ties to that culture. This has brought us a global awareness of the issue of cultural appropriation: white people pushed native peoples off their land and obliterated their traditions - and today we stake claim to their traditions and teachings - but not always with their encouragement and permission. This causes "bad blood". A "stolen" spirituality will lack integrity and power!

A very similar thing is happening with so called ayahuasca tourism". people flying to South America in large numbers to try ayahuasca (and not always in safe sacred properly supervised ways).

Personally speaking I want no part of this. I do not practice any form of Native American spirituality myself. I have never tried Ayahuasca. or peyote I have grave concerns about many aspects of this "spiritual industry" mushrooming. Personally speaking I do not feel any inclination to try practices not anchored "in my blood or bones", supervised by the Elders and ancestors of my heritage.

However, as a Northern European teacher I DO feel that it is my sacred duty (as a walker between the worlds and door opener for others) to offer indigenous material from Northern Europe in a coherent format, with access to personal supervision for those who want to do this work on a professional level.

That was the vision which birthed this course.

The energy signature of this course has already attract the right people and called them together. I trust that process! It has never failed yet!

Imelda Almqvist, last updated 13 September 2019

Location

True North is 9 km from Tystberga, 25 km from Nyloping and 1 hour south of Stockholm.

This program is non-residential meaning that you need to find accommodation of your choice in the surroundings. There is a wide range of offerings from very affordable youth hostels to B&B options and hotel options (various star ratings) in nearby Nyköping.

Hours

We will generally work from 9,30 a.m until about 9.30 p.m. (10 p.m. latest) with a lunch break and dinner break. The evenings will generally be dedicated to ceremonial work.

Prerequisites

This professional program is for people who have completed the 5-day Seidr/Fornsed Introduction Coursewith me in London.

What is Seiðr?

Seidr is a set of ancient Norse magical practices. Traditionally speaking those include the following ,methods and paths:

- Seidr used for Divination & Changing the Weave

- The Thirst for Knowledge & Wisdom Competitions

- Making power objects, sacred art and other forms of magical crafting

- "Blot and Blod" (Offerings and Blood)

Ceremony, ritual, offerings, Wheel of the Year

- Galder - magical songs, incantations and spells

- Uteseita: sitting out (not unlike Native American concept of a vision quest)

- Shapeshifting and Berserking

Imelda Almqvist's SCHOOL OF SACRED ART & SHAMANISM

Copyright 2019

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Welcome and thank you for visiting my website! I hope that you found what you were looking for!

The admin day for my school and practice is Monday - that is the day I try to respond to all messages I receive through this site. The other days I am mostly offline painting, teaching, writing and working forest magic!

On the Shamanic Healing page here you will find a listing for three shamanic practitioners who have availability for one-to-one sessions and I wholeheartedly recommend their work! For a listing of practitioners who work with children and teens, please visit the Global Grid of Practitioners for Kids page.

My international teaching schedule no longer allows me to keep track of people expressing interest only in specific courses. If you would like to receive an occasional update from me (about 5 - 6 times a year) in the form of a newsletter offering "soul food", articles, art videos and an up-to-date (international) listing of all upcoming courses and events - please drop me an email on imelda.almqvist@gmail.com.

Remember that your own life is the greatest piece of art you will ever make!

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This is the TRUE NORTH Seidhmadhr & Seidhkona Sweden program webpage of http://www.shaman-healer-painter.co.uk.
It has been created by Imelda Almqvist's SCHOOL OF SACRED ART & SHAMANISM - Your own life is the greatest piece of art you will ever make! service and Shamanic teacher, painter and author
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